Epidemiology of viral hepatitis in Italy.
Recent data from different research groups on the epidemiology of viral hepatitis in Italy were reviewed. Type A viral hepatitis shows the widest spreading in Southern Italy, where high prevalences of anti-HAV have been recorded among children. Type B viral hepatitis is endemic in Italy, as born out by high prevalences of HBsAg healthy carriers, of anti-HBs and/or anti-HBc positive subjects and of acute and chronic type B hepatitis. Non A/non V viral hepatitis represents about 50% of posttransfusion hepatitis and about 20% of adult sporadic cases.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000453:epidemiology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008875:Middle Aged